Flu season appears to have reached Oregon.
Staff at Legacy Health System have been testing patients who present with respiratory symptoms for the flu since November.
Last month two percent were testing positive.
Starting last week, Spokesman Brian Terrett says, that figure jumped up to almost 33 percent.
"There's been a dramatic increase in a very short period of time in the amount of people who have the flu," said Terrett. "And that tells us that we need to begin to take cautionary measures to ensure that either the people who are sick and vulnerable aren't going to get the flu, or people who have the flu aren't coming into the hospital."
Legacy is allowing no more than two visitors per patient at one time and anyone who's 18 or younger, has to be a family member.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu is at epidemic levels across the nation. And this years' vaccine is not a good match to the circulating virus.
The agency is advising, however, that people still get a flu shot.
Copyright 2015 Oregon Public Broadcasting